In a tiny village on a small island off the coast of South Korea an entire community is taking on the might of the South Korean navy and government to contest the construction of one of the region's largest naval bases. The village of Gangjeong on the island of Jeju has fewer than 2,000 inhabitants but it has become the epicentre of growing discontent over one of the world's biggest arms races. The South Korean government is adamant that the Gangjeong naval base, which it began constructing in 2007, will strengthen national security. But those opposed to it fear that the $920.5mn defence project will destabilise the region, provoking unwanted military confrontations between neighbouring countries. Many argue that the 480,000 square metre military facility, which will house up to 20 warships, will serve as a strategic site for US naval deployment in the region, thus potentially enflaming relations with China.
Jeju Uprising
Background
On November 14, 1947 the United Nations passed UN Resolution 112, calling for a general election under the supervision of the UN Commission.[5] However, the Soviet Union refused to comply with the UN resolution and denied the UN Commission access to the northern part of Korea.[6] The USSR first held elections in the north, reporting a 99.6% turnout with 86.3% of voters supporting government backed candidates.[7] The UN Assembly subsequently adopted a new resolution calling for elections in areas accessible to the UN Commission which at the time, included only the United States Army Military Government in Korea, also known as USAMGIK.[citation needed] Upset by the partition of the peninsula, the communist Workers Party of South Korea planned rallies on March 1 to denounce and block the upcoming general elections scheduled for May 10. The arrest of 2,500 party cadres, and the killing of at least three of them, broke up the planned demonstrations.
Rebellion
On April 3, 1948, the police on Jeju island fired on a demonstration commemorating the Korean struggle against Japanese rule.[1] Outraged, the people of Jeju attacked 12 police stations. In the fighting under 100 policemen and civilians were killed. Rebels also burned polling centers for the upcoming election and attacked political opponents and their families.[4][8] They then issued an appeal urging the local population to rise against the American military government. The Workers Party of South Korea and their appeal found sympathy among the local population due to the prevailing sentiment that the local government and police forces had readily collaborated with the Japanese occupation of Jeju and unrest caused by heavy taxation of agricultural commodities. Seeking a speedy resolution to the insurrection, the South Korean government sent 3,000 soldiers of the South Korean 11th Constabulary Regiment to reinforce local police, but on April 29 several hundred soldiers mutinied, handing over large small-arms caches to the rebels. The Seoul government also sent several hundred Northwest Youth Association members, a group of anti-communist North Korean refugees as part of a paramilitary force.[4] The Northwest Youth Association were notorious for the killing of male Jeju residents and then forcing the victim's female family members into marriage arrangements with Northwest Youth members so that they would inherit their land.[1] Lt. General Kim Ik Ruhl, commander of the South Korean force on the island, attempted to end the insurrection peacefully by negotiating with the rebels. He met several times with rebel leader Kim Dalsam (South Korean Worker's Party Member) but neither side could agree on conditions. The government wanted what amounted to a complete surrender and the rebels demanded disarmament of the local police, dismissal of all governing officials on the island, prohibition of paramilitary youth groups on the island and re-unification of the Korean peninsula. General Kim Ik Ruhl was suddenly recalled to Seoul over his conciliatory approach with the rebels and was surprised when his replacement mounted a sustained offensive against the rebels by the end of the summer.[4] The guerrillas created base camps in the mountains and the government forces held the coastal towns. Farming communities between the coast and the hills became the primary battle zone. By October 1948, the rebel army consisted of approximately 4,000 combatants, and although many were poorly armed, they scored a number of minor victories over the Army. In late fall of 1948 the rebels began openly siding with the North Koreans by flying North Korean flags
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